as in rivalry
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
the playful competition over who would get the new office turned into a real dogfight
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dogfight
On top of dogfights and exploration, there are plenty of puzzles to solve and secrets to uncover.
—
Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 4 Aug. 2025
The next two months of baseball will show whether or not the Cubs roster Hoyer has built is enough to stand up to a dogfight with the Brewers for the National League Central title.
—Jared Wyllys, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
But the immersive video chops are aimed at setting Antigravity's releases far apart from the other players, so a one-on-one dogfight may not be possible.
—Paul Ridden
july 28, New Atlas, 28 July 2025
Barring injury, that's probably not changing this year, especially given that the Phillies are in a dogfight in both the NL East and the National League wildcard hunt.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dogfight
Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 4 Aug. 2025
The next two months of baseball will show whether or not the Cubs roster Hoyer has built is enough to stand up to a dogfight with the Brewers for the National League Central title.
—Jared Wyllys, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
But the immersive video chops are aimed at setting Antigravity's releases far apart from the other players, so a one-on-one dogfight may not be possible.
—Paul Ridden
july 28, New Atlas, 28 July 2025
Barring injury, that's probably not changing this year, especially given that the Phillies are in a dogfight in both the NL East and the National League wildcard hunt.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dogfight
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dogfight
Noun
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The rivalry itself has been tight.—
Sindiswa Mabunda,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Djokovic ultimately emerged as the third man, which enriched the dynamic and added layers, creating three rivalries where previously there had been one.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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When a person is gravely ill, they’re often forced to fight two battles, one against their sickness and the other against the insurance company.—
Duaa Eldeib,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
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Looking back at Charlotte’s recent FCS opponents, dating back to 2021, the 49ers haven’t won the turnover battle in any of the four matchups, resulting in uncomfortably close games and even a lopsided loss to William & Mary in 2022.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The 27-year-old is technical, strong in duels, has a great engine to move up and down the pitch, a good ball progresser and reader of the game.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
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After Fairview won 35-30 in a duel last fall, the two programs from the northwest quadrant of the metro delivered another intriguing bout in 2025.—
Matt Schubert,
Denver Post,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The fourth season will be played from June 18-July 18, 2026, the preferred slot in the calendar for MLC with not much competition from other domestic leagues.—
Tristan Lavalette,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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The number of local homes put up for sale soared, boosting competition among sellers.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The system’s continuous modernization reflects the shifting nature of naval warfare, where adversaries are increasingly fielding maneuvering anti-ship missiles, drone swarms, and asymmetric maritime threats.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Sep. 2025
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This kind of ‘autonomy at the edge’, where human oversight is minimal once a system is unleashed, marks a qualitative shift in warfare.—
Brian Walsh,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The decision stems from a class action lawsuit filed during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the financial struggles of disabled individuals who lost part-time jobs.—
Laura Schulte,
jsonline.com,
5 Sep. 2025
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During an appearance on Today With Jenna & Friends, Cummings, 43, candidly joked about her experience with postpartum depression after welcoming her son Henry back in December 2023, sharing that her struggles even inspired the name of her ongoing Big Baby tour.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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All Quiet on the Western Front is a visually graphic portrayal of the horrors of war, earning four Academy Awards in 2023 — including Best International Feature Film.—
Jacqueline Weiss,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
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Presumably, this is because those players lost their ‘development’ period — their early teenage years — to the war.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The footage appears to show Lawrence and Pattinson in a heated confrontation, while other moments feature a character wielding a knife.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Sep. 2025
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Even as liberal-seeming Amir invites Yusuf to join the Muslim Association, an informal organization of male Arab landowners, Yusuf’s father is killed in a night-time confrontation with the settlers.—
Ritesh Mehta,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dogfight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dogfight. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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